1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a method and apparatus for optically broadcasting wind direction information.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Wind direction indicators have long been employed at airports and other facilities, for example, to provide pilots and other observers with a visual indication of wind direction and speed. Examples of prior art wind direction indicators include windsocks and vanes which unfortunately are difficult to see beyond a relatively short distance and cannot be used effectively during night or reduced visibility conditions. Attempts have been made to overcome the deficiencies of windsocks and vanes by replacing them with beacon light beam type indicators that can be seen for several miles or more. As an example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,874,214 discloses such an indicator in which a rotating light beam is modulated so that it is shut off when it is directed into the wind. A number of other patents, such as U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,879,267, 1,989,295 and 4,241,604, disclose optical wind direction and speed indicators in which light beams are flashed in the direction of the wind.
Although these prior art light beam type wind direction indicators provide a considerably longer obervation range than do windsocks or vanes, they still are difficult to read from a long distance, depending on weather conditions or the observer's relative position with respect to the indicator. What would be desirable therefore is to provide a wind direction indicator which can be observed from a long distance and can be easily interpreted regardless of weather conditions or the relative position of the observer.